


Kiss Me Under the Sun

by TheBrokaryotes



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Mild Language, OC insertion, aint no thang but a chicken wang, intensely OOC levi wow, no ragrets, this was an rp at one point but now its a fic lololololol yolo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-13
Updated: 2015-02-13
Packaged: 2018-03-12 06:52:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3347657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBrokaryotes/pseuds/TheBrokaryotes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>New hot-headed recruit Kisumi Hinode of the 104th regiment of the Recon Corps has a knack for getting herself into trouble. So what happens when she gets on Captain Levi's last nerve?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> heyo!!!!!! this is our first fic. it was originally an rp so sorry if the POV switches around a lot. it was kind of experimental, but we had a lot of fun making it, and we hope you enjoy it!!!!

Even in the sun, it was pretty brisk out on the training field, and some of the recruits not sparring were huddled together shivering and murmuring to one another. Levi watched them out of the corner of his eye, sipping tea while Hanji talked his ear off. Eren was several yards from him, sparring with one of the 104th's, and it was rather amusing to watch, since she was tearing the Titan boy up.

Said 104th was Kisumi. She was a tiny person with a huge personality. The blond was also an exceptional fighter- Any onlookers could tell by the way Eren's face was now getting acquainted with the ground.   
The blond whipped her head towards the rest of the trainees, cracking her knuckles while placing a foot on Eren who was still struggling on the ground.  
"Anyone else?" She shouted challengingly with a slightly devilish grin.

Levi glances up at the girl. Kisumi, that was her name, wasn't it? He remembered her introducing herself during rounds. She was the blonde Oriental. Strange. Hanji leans down to Levi's ear, wry smirk on her face. "She's almost as good as you, Levi, isn't she?" Fixing her with a cold glare, he turns carefully to watch Kisumi better. He wondered exactly where she had learned to fight like that.

Kisumi swatted away some of her hair from her sweat-free forehead. Her brown eyes were blazing, attracting more attention from the trainees.   
Her determinedness gave Hanji an idea- Hanji grinned inwardly before whistling, and catching Kisumi's eyes.   
"Hey, Blondie! Why don't you come over here and give ol' Levi a try, huh?"  
Kisumi blinked for a second before breaking into momentary laughter.

Levi's head turns mechanically to look at Hanji, eyebrows fixed in a half-worried/half I-will-kill-everything-you-love expression. Mikasa and Armin look up from their spar, the latter teen panting and slightly bruised, and it seems like a hush falls over the rest of the squad.

Extra: Off in the distance, a moose caterwauls.

Kisumi quickly strode up to Levi, nearly bursting from the anticipation. She sensed how unenthusiastic Levi was, and so she cut him off before he could refuse.  
"Alright, let's do this!" She grinned. After all, she wasn't going to miss a once-in-a-lifetime chance, fighting humanity's freaking strongest!  
Kisumi slipped into her regular battle stance, almost tasting the adrenaline that was slowly building up in her veins.

 

Levi sighs, glancing at her. "My dear, I apologize, but I don't fight recruits."

Kisumi wasn't deterred by this. If there was one thing she learned from Hanji, it was how to get on someone's nerves.  
"Oh, so you're saying that you're scared of losing? In that case, I understand. I must say im shocked by you, Mister 'Humanity's Strongest'" she drawled the last words out tauntingly.  
In hindsight, it probably wasn't the smartest move.

Levi stiffens, steely eyes widening just slightly. Oh, she was _grating_ him. Oh, he hated it. "Pardon me, girl, but who the hell are you calling 'Mister?'" he asks, voice calm and smooth as he rises and makes is way to her. Dammit, they were the same height. Levi's inner child whines, "not fair."

Kisumi's eyes widened as she saw Levi adapt the battle stance. _Score! Now I'll show him,_ she thought. She glanced into his icy black eyes, losing her grinning demeanor and instead taking up a poker face. She lunged at Levi, aiming for the pressure point on his shoulder.

She moved faster than he would've expected. It was customary for the elder to throw the first punch in a traditional sparring match, but apparently not to Kisumi. Levi's forearm flashes up to block her hand almost too late. He takes a step forward, his other hand rushing up to connect with her shoulder for a punch.

Instead of dodging the swing, she let him get in the hit- swiftly, and in one precise motion, she recovered from the force and punched him in his now-exposed stomach. The rest of the trainees silently gasped with awe. 

Her fist connects swiftly with his stomach, his abdomen tightening in shock from the contact. His eyes widen again, and he takes a quick breath before pushing off the soles of his feet and taking another swing at her shoulder, moving fast to dodge whatever attack she came up with next. 

Kisumi’s mind was racing, her brain picking up bits and pieces of memory from her childhood. How her mother had taught her about all the pressure points in the human body, how a good jab to any one of those areas could bring even the strongest soldier crumbling down. She scanned Levi’s guarded posture for a moment, and made the split-second decision to aim for a good hit to his temples. 

Levi ducks, just barely, and her fingers graze across his skull. She was moving so fast, it was unbelievable. Her quick thinking was forcing him to the defensive, and he couldn't afford to be on the defensive. If you don't fight, you can't win. And the best defense is a strong offense. Tucking his thumb to give off the ruse that he was going to hit her again, he swings his tucked arm up to her jaw, sweeping his foot out and feeling the leather of their boots collide as he tries to knock her off her legs.

Before crashing to the ground, she instead struck her arms out and twisted in a snap- using the momentum from Levi’s kick to push her back up. She zipped back up and her motions were so rapid it was as if the cords from the 3DMG were guiding her limbs. As she got regained her balance, she struck Levi’s chest with a swift kick. 

Levi gasps, breath leaving him in a rush. He wheezes, quickly regaining his balance, however, and throwing a messy kick to her knees, boxing her ear simultaneously.

Deciding it was high time to end this, Kisumi jerked her head back suddenly and crashed her skull into his. Her head was feeling lighter and dizzier, but she willed herself to stay in control of her senses. 

The ground spiraled to meet Levi’s face, as he crumpled to the grass like tinfoil beneath a squeezing palm. His head pounded with every pulse of blood beneath his veins, stars ricocheting off his eyelids. What had happened? How was this even possible? There was no way she could’ve…

...beat him. Kisumi had beat him, Lance Corporal Levi, Humanity’s Strongest. She clutched at her now-pounding head, and suddenly the people around her became visible. The trainees had unwittingly clustered around their intense fight and most of them were gaping in awe, causing Kisumi to let out a chuckle. Bad idea. Her head seemed to explode into pieces and she stumbled backwards, struggling to stand up. _Maybe the headbutt wasn’t the best idea,_ she managed to piece a string of coherent thoughts together. 

Two thin yet strong hands hook beneath Levi’s arms to help him rise. Their owner is Hanji, that much he can tell despite his fuzzy state. The earth returns to being somewhat-visible, although the air looks too bright and the silence is deafening. Blinking several times and shrugging Hanji off, the full force of what had just transpired began to hit Levi slowly, crashing into his chest like a train in slow motion. His eye twitches involuntarily, grey irises flaring as tension crackles.

Hanji felt another hand on her shoulder. Kisumi had grabbed onto the first thing she saw, and her legs were now wobbling uncontrollably. “Hey Hanji...so,” she said, panting out every word, “who won?”. With her last word, Kisumi had somehow managed to plaster a grin on her face. 

 

“Kisumi Hinode,” Levi growls, voice low and reverberating across the field. Whatever whispers that had been flying between the recruits died the moment he spoke, words sharp and clear. “I hope you understand that using untaught, unorthodox methods against a higher ranking officer than yourself is a punishable offense. You do know this, yes? Or is your ego so thick that you can’t see past your own selfishness?” A collective intake of breath ripples through the crowd. Levi’s eyes flit to Eren amidst the recruits, red-faced with knit eyebrows being restrained by Mikasa and Armin tugging on his arms.

Kisumi inwardly gulped, racking her brain of ways to get out of this mess. But in spite of her normally quick-tongue and sharp mind, she was responseless. Instead her eyes flitted to Hanji, trying to send a telepathic distress message to the quirky scientist- really, Kisumi would take absolutely anyone’s help at this point. The short man glaring at her was quite off-putting (not to mention very intimidating despite his height) and Kisumi was starting to realize the trouble she had gotten herself into. 

The tension drags on for endless seconds before Levi sighs, more irritated than defeated, and glances up at the recruits, who all cringe in unison. “The hell are you all doing? This is not a rest period. Keep moving.” Those who didn’t scurry immediately quietly dispersed back into their original pairs, but all eyes still drifted over in Levi and Kisumi’s direction now that their attention had been diverted. Levi’s steely gaze returns to the blonde. “My quarters this evening, Hinode. We’re going to discuss this like adults.”

What Kisumi did next probably was not the best idea. As she followed Levi, she muttered under her breath, “I think in order to do that, Sir, you’d have to at least be as tall as the average adult.” The slight stiffening of Levi’s shoulders caused her blood to run cold and she caught her breath. She tightened her fists at her sides and thought, _I’m so freaking dead this time, aren’t I?_

That’s it. This poor girl had to be clinically insane. Levi didn’t even register his hand flashing out and grabbing her by the scruff of her uniform and yanking her up to her tiptoes. “Young lady,” he hisses, voice as smooth as always. “Do you know what I do with gnats?”

She knew she was trying her luck to the brink here, but Kisumi had to try anyways- “You let them go with a very stern warning?” Her voice squeaked at the very end, and she wore a nervous smile that simply screamed for someone to get her the heck out of there. The pressure on her throat was getting stronger and she felt borderline panicky at that point. 

“I squish them,” he responds quietly, like he hadn’t even paused for her response. "Now I don't care if you want to be a smug little champion at your narcissist craft, I really don't. You can be as cocky as you want. But don't you ever, ever cross that line between being the best and being conceited. _Do I make myself clear?"_

Kisumi kept her trademark grin on her face (even though it was forced at this point) and did her best to pound her fist on her chest in the familiar salute. “Aye aye, Sir! Now, uh, can you please let me go?” She managed to gasp out, seeing spots of black around the corner of her vision. Her head was starting to swim. _Not...good,_ she thought, her mind all jumbled up. 

It may or may not have been Hanji’s hand on Levi’s shoulder that really made him release Kisumi, but that was beside the point. He dropped her, grey eyes stormy. “I still expect to see you later this evening, girl. You’re not off the hook yet.” It was then that he realized that she annoyed him in the same manner Eren did. It must have been a teenage thing, because they were both just so utterly unbearable and yet just kind of admirable at the same time. Eren for his determination and Kisumi for her competitiveness. It made Levi feel a bit wistful, but above all else, nauseous.

Finding her feet, she waited a second before the ground finally felt stable underneath her. Why does the captain always have to be so uptight sometimes? But technically...technically... _didn’t I win?_ She realized with a start. And just like that, her mood skyrocketed again. She looked at the Captain’s back as he strode away, thinking, _Until next time, Levi. Until next time._


	2. Chapter 2

Dinner among the Squad had been rather quiet. Even Hanji refrained from saying very much aside from chirping up for a brief minute or so on her recent discovery of a new book in the library that just reiterated everything they already knew about Titans. Levi thought that the awkwardness might have something to do with his less-than-adequate performance on the training grounds today. At this point, however, he had come to terms with it on his own. It wasn’t his fault completely that he lost. He was off guard, off balance, unprepared...slow. Slow? No, that was impossible. Shaking his head of the thought and gaining a few wary glances from across the table, he excuses himself, standing and pushing his chair in before leaving the room.

Kisumi was walking through the halls, towards the direction of the library. She’d actually been trying to get in some field research on the titans, but had wanted to avoid Hanji as she didn’t want a repeat of the first day Hanji caught her in the library. There were just so many words that spewed out of the crazed scientist’s mouth about titans and hypotheses and theories...and it was just _too much._ Kisumi grabbed at her collar and gently touched the skin near the base of her throat. Her usually clear, smooth light olive skin was marred by a small bruise from her stunt on the training grounds. If she pulled her collar high enough, it was barely noticeable. Not that Kisumi was not uncomfortable with attention or anything, it was just that she didn’t want to attract attention for this sort of a thing. 

The soles of Levi’s shoes thump quietly along the stone floor as he walks, thumbs stuck into the band of his brown apron. He reaches up with one hand to scratch the back of his head, the door to his quarters just a few yards off. Bringing his hand to the front his bangs, a sudden pain shoots across his forehead, and he realizes that there’s a bump from where his skull had collided with Kisumi’s. _Damn kids_ , he thinks, tucking his free hand into the sleeve of his jacket before opening the door to his room. Sometimes he forgot that he was surrounded by a bunch of teenagers. And he hated being reminded.

Kisumi strides down the hall, and then notices Levi standing by his door. His office...which was coincidentally right near the library. Her hand instinctively flew to her collar but then she willed herself to calm down and she tried her best to put on a semi-nonchalant facade. Whether it was believable or not, she couldn’t tell. She kept on walking by, but for some reason she felt like she was walking at a slower pace- and what was that loud thumping noise? Was that her...heart? _Shut up!_ She mentally screamed at herself. Levi could probably smell fear- or nervousness, or whatever it was she was feeling right now. Kisumi really couldn’t tell in the swirl of conflicting emotions. 

Levi’s hand freezes. The sound waves around his ears seemed to pulse differently. “Hinode,” he says quietly, hand still on the doorknob.

Kisumi turns towards him almost automatically, slowly, like a robot. She tried her best not to stutter when she managed to say, “Y-yes Cap’n, Sir?” sounding extra formal in all her awkward glory. Her hand betrayed her again and she almost subconsciously grabbed at her collar. 

Flicking his head to the interior of his quarters, he opens the door and steps inside, waiting patiently for her to follow suit. If she ran, fine, he’d let her. And promptly kick her out of the Survey Corps. But at the same time, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say to her. There wasn’t much else to call her out on aside from her blatant disregard for authority.

She ended up following Levi, somewhat cautiously, into his office room. Kisumi had no clue what was waiting in store for her, but she remembered a piece of advice from her mother: “Even the greatest of gifts can be disguised as the devil”. Maybe Levi was the metaphorical devil. Or maybe he just simply was the devil. _Well, that didn’t help at all- thanks a lot, mom_ , she thought satirically to herself. 

Surprisingly enough (or maybe not, depending on how you viewed germophobia), Levi’s room was shockingly sparse. The main pieces of furniture included nothing much aside from a double bed pushed into the lower left corner of the room furthest from the door, a desk in front of the window directly across from the threshold, and an armoire in the upper left hand corner with a few articles of clothing draped over its doors. A rickety old wooden stool was propped up at the side of the room, blending in with the dark oak paneled walls. Levi beelines for it, lifting it with one arm and placing it directly in front of the desk before going around to the other side and sitting. His hands felt filthy, but he thought it might be better to wait and patch things up with this girl before giving into the temptation to scrub out every last dirt molecule in each of his pores. “Sit down,” he orders, leafing through some stacked papers.

Kisumi glanced around quickly and did not really know where to sit. In the end she settled for the bed, hoping that she wasn’t overstepping her boundaries. Her brown eyes turned to Levi as he sorted through his stack of papers. She was practically exploding- or in this case _imploding_ \- from all the contained anticipation. In fact, in accompaniment to her hand clutching at her collar, her right foot was now tapping incessantly and in short bursts. 

Levi barely looks up, a bored expression crossing his face. “Young lady, that seat is for you.”

She snapped up to attention, taking great effort to restrain from slapping herself. _Idiot!_ Kisumi berated herself, _Just how stupid am I?_ She managed to stutter out, “O-oh yeah, I totally knew that!” She proceeded to nervously laugh for an extended period of time ( _Why isn’t his expression changing oh God oh God I’m dead_ ). Finally, after an awkward silence, she shuffled and took her seat.

Clearing his throat lightly, he sets the papers down and slowly returns his gaze to her face. It was only now that he sort of took in what she looked like, and he supposed that if he’d been any younger, she would seem rather cute. But he wasn’t into that sort of thing anymore, he was an adult, dammit. Besides, she was rude. “I really do hope you can give me an explanation in your own words as to why you think you’re here.”

Kisumi fidgeted in her seat for a moment and racked her brain for acceptable answers. In situations like this, it’s better to just tell the person opposing you what they want to hear...right? She responded with, “Yes sir! I will clean the boys dorm for a week! I mean that’s my punishment for being- ah, what was the word again?” She whispered that last part to herself and then exclaimed “incompetent! or disrespectful? Yeah, that’s it!” She looked at him sheepishly. That went terribly.

Levi lets his tired eyelids fall, and he takes a breath. “If you’re volunteering your services, that’s excellent, but as I said, I want to know why _you_ think you’re here. Not why I do. I’ll get to that in a moment. But I want you to speak first. If you please.” He opens his eyes again, brow twitching a bit. “And do try to make it smart, I detest dribble, my dear.”

_Speak? About WHAT? Is this some kinda test, oh God I didn’t study_ , Kisumi practically screamed in her mind. Instead she choked out something much more intelligent. “Uh...yes?” A second passed between the two before Kisumi hastily corrected herself, “I mean, I think I’m here because I overstepped my boundaries back at the training grounds and I, uh, apologize.” she said, clearly putting some effort into sounding formal. She quickly added a “Sir” to the end of her explanation. 

Levi blinks, taking a long pause before he responds. “Is that all?” So she obviously didn’t understand what he really wanted from her: for her to analyze herself. It was one of the first steps recruits had to learn to take if they were ever going to line up with the authority over them, and though Levi himself had struggled with it under Erwin’s scrutinizingly intense watch, he too had managed to figure it out. Though Kisumi’s brash attitude might make it hard, it certainly would not make it unacheivable.

Kisumi looked at Levi, finally catching his eye. She wasn’t completely sure what the Captain wanted from her, but she’d surely give it her best shot. After another slightly agonizing second of silence, she quietly said “I stepped out of my own place back there, and in turn I took out some of the trainees for the sake of satisfying my own pride. I apologize, again.” Her voice was dull and monotone, as if she was reading out of a textbook. 

Nodding almost to himself, Levi sits back, fingers laced in his lap. “I don’t want you to take this too harshly. Perhaps I was a bit out of line in retaliating in the manner I did. It does mean a lot, however, that you can come to that conclusion on your own.” Tilting his head to the side a bit, his eyes drop to her neck, where a purplish bruise had already begun forming. A pang of guilt mixed with a confusing sense of pride flooded over him. “I hope you learned from this.”

The fire returned to her eyes as Kisumi nodded her head vigorously. Levi didn’t seem like he wanted to murder her anymore, so she must have been doing _something_ right. She shot up and saluted, “Thank you, Sir! Now if you don’t mind, I’m gonna get to the library before Hanji gets there” her formal dialect faded into her usual slang and she dashed out of the room before Levi could protest. 

“Miss Hinode,” Levi says as she gets her foot out of the door, voice quiet and somehow reverberating at the same time.

Kisumi froze in the middle of her great escape (well, it seemed great in her head) and turned around to face Levi.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like a rematch tomorrow. If I beat you, you have to clean out the girl’s dorm for a month. But if you beat me, you’ll be free of chores for the next few weeks, and I’ll employ you to show me your style. How does that sound?”

Her jaw dropped in complete and utter shock. After what seemed like hours, Kisumi pulled her mouth into her familiar cheeky grin and puffed her chest out. “Sure thing!” she practically beamed at the hardened leader. 

Levi nodded curtly, the Rivaillequivalent of a broad smile. Standing up and rolling his shoulders, he waves his hand dismissively in her direction. “Great. Now scat. There’s a whole evening left and I’ll not have it wasted on peppy recruits,” he says, shrugging his jacket off.

Kisumi saluted again, and dashed out of the room, in the general direction of the library. Shouts could be heard near the library as Kisumi had assumedly run into an information-spewing Hanji, and was now trying to get herself out of _that_ mess.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> heugheugheugheugh
> 
> also blood tw??? kind of???? kisumi gets a nosebleed

_Why do these papers keep appearing on my desk?_ Levi wonders as he once again leafs through pages of field reports, most of them Hanji’s. His hair was slightly damp, stringy locks of the dark brown stuff falling in front of his eyes. He’d showered no earlier than half an hour ago, which had been nice, but he preferred bathing in the morning. Just a habit.

Meanwhile, Kisumi was sprinting down the halls- she had just stashed Mikasa’s oh-so-precious red scarf, and somehow managed to pin the blame on Connie. It was only a matter of time before the real perpetrator was revealed. She made a hairpin turn at the end of a corridor and found herself at...Levi’s door. _Well, it’s not like he’s in there- Armin said there was some kinda meeting so I can probably hide in here. And no one would dare look in the great Captain Levi’s very own room!_ , and so with Kisumi’s absolutely _foolproof_ plan, she opened the door and slammed it behind her, snickering all whilst facing the door from the inside. However, when she turned around, she wasn’t prepared in the least. 

“Ah, well isn’t that nice. And here I was thinking I had the night off.” Levi glances up, and… was that a smile? However faint, yes, it was; the corners of his lips had actually managed to defy gravity for once. “I am afraid, however, that you’ve caught me in something other than my full uniform, which I know might terrify you, but trust me, it’s not a disease.”

Now it wasn’t that Kisumi didn’t enjoy Levi or anything- in fact, she quite respected, one could even say admired him in a way- but that still didn’t stop her from whipping around and trying to open the door. However, there was just one small problem. Kisumi let go of the handle and turned around with a solemn look on her face. “I-I think I locked the door from the outside…” she gulped. 

Levi tsks. “Shame.” He wasn’t about to tell her that the main tumbler lock was on the inside of the room; she was seventeen, she could figure that out herself. “Well then, come, sit a while or something, seeing as you’re hopelessly trapped. I can see you’re just _dying_ to get out of here.”

Kisumi just stared at Levi for a while, and then narrowed her eyes almost comically. She then shuffled over to the old rickety stool and pulled it over, not once taking her eyes of off Levi. She sat down and crossed her legs, sitting Indian-style on the stool. An awkward silence then ensued, and it seemed that awkward silences were the trademark of the teen. 

Levi rubs one eye with two fingers, yawning a little. “Come over here and help me read this sloppy handwriting, won’t you? I swear, Hanji gets less and less legible every day. Starting to wonder if old four-eyes is going blind.”

Kisumi, still retaining her cautious demeanor, joins Levi at his seat, standing next to him. She then leans over and reads the text. One thing was sure: Levi was right, Hanji’s handwriting was worse than that of a three year old! Kisumi frowned at every word, mouthing them out and then she recognized what the text was about. It was a summary of their last expedition outside the walls. Kisumi’s blood ran cold. _43 casualties_ , she read. Without thinking, she muttered, “All those poor families…” She then realized that she was over Levi’s shoulder, and that the Captain was looking at her oddly. She snapped back and said, “This seems to be a document that records the details about the last expedition on the outside of the walls”. 

“Yes, thank you, Captain Obvious. Really just needed to decipher that word right there,” Levi says monotonously, finger drifting lazily to a hastily scrawled word, ‘engorged.’ “Made it look like she was sayin’ the dirty thing had ‘an engaged stomach.’” Levi pauses, before realizing he should probably sympathize with her the best way he knew how. “Yes, boohoo to them, but it’s not like any of us are unused to death in the Survey Corps, right? Sixty percent, that’s the margin of casualties. Everyone here knows they’re putting themselves at risk every day just by stepping outside. Everyone who’s here is here because they want to be.” Not true. At all. There were plenty, Levi himself included, that had been dragged, kicking and screaming, here, with no say in the matter. And it was people like that -- like him -- that ended up being the best. He sincerely hoped Kisumi had not been one of those who was going to have to suffer the same fate.

Kisumi nodded her head, but her mind was somewhere else. She seemed somewhat distant as she shifted her head towards the door and then back at Levi. “Yeah, I guess casualties are going to always be a constant in these expeditions”, she said bitterly, “but the number of people, no, children, that are orphaned is just….unforgivable.” She said the last part more to herself than to the stoic-faced captain, her eyebrows pulling into a surprisingly jaded frown as if it the normally grinning teen had faced many hardships. 

Silence to Levi was normally a positive thing, but radiating from Kisumi, it seemed alien and uncomfortable. “No need to be so surfeited, my dear, it really is just part of what we do here.” Glancing up at her, he sets the papers down, his expression somewhere between casual sympathy and boredom. “Don’t let the thought of dying or seeing those around you die hinder your performance. We’re all going to perish one time or another, Kisumi. It’s what we choose to do with the knowledge that those around us may die before we do that shapes our survival and our fate. You have to keep the spirits of your comrades close to your heart. Let their legacies weigh on you. Let the passion that drove them not to their demise but to their aspirations be fuel for your fire, and your ambition to fight in this war that we’re all foolish enough to believe we can win.” With a slow blink and a bit of a head turn, he asks, “You understand, don’t you?”

Kisumi simply nodded again, her mind wandering towards her own past. Suddenly, a thought struck her mind, one that was familiar. _What about everyone else?_ How many people had experienced death before they enlisted, how many people were new to death? Of course, Kisumi had become accustomed to losing her close ones at a young age...her shoulders sagged without her noticing, in a subconscious display of slight despair. 

Sighing, Levi can tell he’s done nothing more than upset her further. Whatever, she had to learn eventually, right? Unless she’d already learned it and he was just being a prick. He reaches up and awkwardly pats her arm without looking, thinking of saying “There, there,” but then quickly shoving that thought back where it belonged.”

She flinched back out of pure instinct and then realized what she had done. Had she looked so sullen that even Levi had tried to comfort her? Kisumi wasn’t sure what to make of that...why did she feel so _pathetic_? Slightly appalled with herself, she straightened up and plastered a fake smile on her face and said in a painstakingly falsetto voice, “Well anyways! As long as we’re stuck in here, how about you tell me about your story, huh?” In her effort to mask her emotions, Kisumi had seemed to forget who exactly she was talking to. Levi, the coldest most stoic man in all of the Survey Corps.

Levi retracts his hand, setting it back on his lap. Jesus, had he stung her or something? Poor kid acted like someone had touched her bare arm with an ice cube. He touches his index finger to his thumb, the nimble appendage feeling a bit chillier than usual. “Surely I have no idea what you mean,” he says, leaning the chair back on two legs.

Uh oh. How would she get herself out of this mess? So Kisumi did what she always did when she was put into situations like these, situations that required quick-witted responses: she let out a vomit of words. “W-well you see I was askin’ for your backstory, sorta what made you the hardened kind of warrior you are today! Like, y’know, I’m from Wall Maria and I joined the Survey Corps in honor of my father! Because he believed in justice and stuff, and he’s also where I got my Oriental roots from,” She blurted out, giving a nervous chuckle at the end. She took the silence between her and Levi as a signal to keep on going. “And well, so, my mother and I took the first boat to Wall Rose and we lived there pretty happily- until she was murdered, of course. Have you ever heard of the old underground organ black market? Well some of our ‘friends’- not really friends - kind of killed her for her insides. When I think about it now, it’s kinda ironic. My dad was killed to be eaten and he was inside a titan and my mom was killed for her insides.” She finished lamely, panting at the end of her spiel. 

Levi blinks, brow pinched neatly, the creases around the corners of his mouth deepening as he frowns. “Wh...what?”

Kisumi felt her face reddening and her eyes darted to the door and then to her feet and then back at Levi. This wasn’t going so well for her. She gulped and managed to say, “well, what’s your story?”. 

Levi winces, biting his lip, although he still managed to make the painful expression seem sarcastic. “I’m pretty sure that’s not something you’d like to hear. It’d make you think less of me. And of the people around us,” he states, drawing out the ‘I’m’ at the beginning.

She answered almost immediately, “Try me,” her brown eyes blazing. 

He fixes her with a challenging stare, something like a chuckling breath of air brushing over his lips, and he may have smiled. “I really don’t think so.”

Kisumi hesitated for a moment, before replying with “I told you mine didn’t I? Have you heard the expression ‘give and take’? Well, I gave you some knowledge about me so how about you return the favor” she said quietly, thinking to herself _let’s forget the fact that my backstory was a little unwarranted for_.

Levi groans, leaning his head back. “Teenagers are so pushy. Fine, whatever,” he barks, standing up. He makes his way over toward the armoire in the corner of the room, pushing one of the doors open completely. “I don’t remember exactly how old I was. Seventeen, eighteen maybe. I still couldn’t read, so. Anyway. I…” he falters, tripping on his own words. _I was probably part of the organization that got your mother murdered_. “...I was in a bad crowd.”

There was another silence after Levi said that. Kisumi did not really know what to say. _He’s being pretty vague, but I’m not sure how much I should push him_ , she thought with uncertainty. Instead she did the next best thing. Staying true to the expression ‘give and take’, she awkwardly patted him on his arm. “There...there?” her words that were intended for comfort sounded more like a question.

The muscles in Levi’s arm flinch away from her touch while the remainder of his body miraculously stays put. “What are you doing?” he asks in a low, broken tone. Though he knew exactly what she was doing, it still surprised him that she would be reciprocating his gesture from earlier, and kind of freaked him out; he was partial to touching, only wanted to touch if he initiated it. He hadn’t initiated this. But he doesn’t tell her to stop directly. It was up to her if she wanted to do that.

She replied, “I’m...comforting...you?” her voice fluctuating into a higher-pitch at the end, as if she were asking a question again. She cleared her throat and brought her hand back to her side, where it fell limply. 

Raising an eyebrow, he turns back to the armoire, pulling out a cotton-white shirt. “Well, anyway, I was in a bad crowd. Doing things I shouldn’t’ve been doing. I regret none of it, because there’s no sense in regretting what you can’t change. But Erwin found me. Caught me. Captured me. Brought me here and gussied me up like some toy soldier, swore he’d make the best of the best. And I suppose he was right.”

Kisumi nodded again, but this time her eyes were flooded with respect and she simply said, “Thank you,” _for trusting me enough to tell me that_. Of course, maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal to him, maybe he was just tired of her pestering and finally decided to say something to get her to shut up- but Kisumi knew it was more than just that. She suddenly snapped to attention when she saw the white shirt in his hands, and stuttered, “U-uh Sir, what are you…?”

“Changing into a shirt that I haven’t been sweating in all day,” he responds briskly, stepping away from her and crossing the room toward the bed, slipping the shirt off over his shoulders. “By all means, if you’re bothered, leave. I do believe we’ve covered enough personal information for one lifetime.”

Kisumi’s face flushed red again, but this time a deeper shade spread throughout her body. She squeaked out, “B-b-but the l-lock is broken?” Her words were barely comprehensible, and she was trembling quite obviously. 

“Are you sure?” Levi asks, tugging the fresh cotton over his head. The lock was on the inside, so he wasn’t sure how she could be trapped in here. But regardless, it was kind of funny to watch her get flustered. A cold feeling like a bucket of ice drops in his stomach. _Don’t take pleasure in that, you fiend!_ he scolds himself, feeling like a rule-breaker. _She is a recruit, you are a Captain. Act like it!_

At this point, a lot of thoughts were running through Kisumi’s mind at breakneck speed. Some of them were innocent and some of them were _not_. This in turn led into her skin flushing an even deeper shade of red, one she did not think was even possible with her light-olive skin. She stumbled towards the door and tried to open it. _Click_. Her jaw dropped as the door opened smoothly. 

Levi glances up, sighing. “Au revoir, then. Goodnight.” In truth, he didn’t mind if she stayed. He ruffles his hair, looking up at her, wanting to coyly suggest that she does so, but figured that too would be inappropriate.

It seemed that Levi was going to get what he wanted, as in her haste to make her escape, Kisumi tripped and face planted on the hard, wooden floor. She got up and tried to stagger away again, but blood was gushing out of nose and her head was feeling a little light. The dizziness made her sway, trying to collect her head which seemed to be flying away from her. 

Any other adult might have panicked, but all Levi did was glance over, taking a few steps toward her. “Are you okay?” he asks flatly, holding his hands up a bit in case she fell. Again. Klutzy teenagers.

She glanced at Levi, who seemed to be replicating right before her eyes. “Do I look okay? Alsho, why are dere dree of you?” She said with a nasally voice, pinching her nose in a meek attempt to steady the flow of blood. 

A moment of silence precedes the air splitting and the heavens parting as Levi laughs (inappropriately, obviously. There is no other way). “My Go-od, Hinode, come here,” he manages through each breath, taking her hand and pulling her back inside, closing the door. Still chuckling, he sits her on the bed and stands in front of her, leaning over a bit and pulling her chin up to examine her face. “You really did want to get out of here, huh?” 

Instead of processing what Levi said (like a normal human being would) she moaned, “Bloooooooood. There’s so much bloooood, why?” Her sentences were lacking in grammar and she didn’t seem to have regained her basic comprehensive abilities either. 

Sighing, Levi lets her chin drop. “Don’t tilt your head back too much, okay? Give me one moment.” He straightens and crosses the room to the door in the corner, opening it and disappearing inside, returning a moment later with some tissue paper, cotton, and alcohol.

She eyes Levi thoughtfully, focusing on his every moment, trying to reduce the number of Levi’s from three to one. Kisumi then muttered something under her breath that sounded eerily like, “titan knobbies”. She resumed swaying in place at her seat on the springy bed. 

Levi sits beside her, ordering her to turn herself toward him. Once she’s lined up, he carefully presses a cotton swab to the quickly-drying blood beneath her nose, watching the droplets blossom into pink and then violent vermillion red as they collect on the material. He wants to make her do this herself, but she looks very dizzy, and is having trouble holding her head in place, so it wouldn’t be too hard for her to screw up holding a cotton ball to her nose too. He’d just have to get over it. “That was quite a tumble.”

She tries to nod her head for the upteenth time that day, which unfortunately did not help with her swimming head. Kisumi ended up groaning something incomprehensible and collapsed forward on to Levi’s shirt. His white shirt, now minutely stained red. 

Levi’s hands fly up to his sides, her face landing on his chest. He _really_ didn’t want to touch her, now that her blood was all over his shirt, but he supposed he didn’t have much of a choice. Squeamishly, he pushes on her shoulders with the heels of his hands, holding her up just barely. “Kisumi, dear, you’re not making this very easy,” he grumbles, attempting to carefully continue wiping the blood from her nose. It had stopped at this point, the flow, and was reduced to little more than a trickle.

Kisumi lolled her head for a moment before taking control of it again. She grumbled something akin to “leggo o’ me” and attempted to stand up, still leaning heavily on Levi. 

“Sit your butt down, missy,” Levi orders sternly, managing to remain bored and stoic. He tosses the soiled cotton ball aside, his grip on her shoulder tightening now to keep her in place as he gropes the bedspread for a fresh one, using his leftover two fingers to grab the alcohol bottle and expertly dabble some onto the cotton ball, bringing that up to above her lip to remove the stain left there. “You might have a concussion.”

She slurred, “A con-confession? You sayin’ you’ve gotta confession to make?” With some effort, she lifted her hand up and pointed her finger at Levi. “All right, I’m swearing to secrecy”. 

Levi’s hand stalls for a moment before he chuckles, continuing. “Yeah, I might have a confession, but I’m not so sure you’re ‘out-of-it’ enough to not understand what it is I have to say.”

Kisumi smiled dopily. “You’ve got a pretty cute laugh, Captain”. She then proceeded to giggle to no one in particular for a minute or so until her cheeks became rosy. 

So adorable. What, no, shut up. “...Thank you?” Levi offers, blinking slowly, for once unable to formulate a smart comeback. That in and of itself was perturbing.

Kisumi just stared back at Levi, grin still on her face. She then yawned, which was understandable as it was pretty late (around ten P.M.) and then proceeded to fall asleep. The only problem was, she fell asleep on Levi’s bed. 

Levi remains still and calm for a while, just listening to the sound of the clock ticking on the wall accompanied by Kisumi’s breath, slow and steady. He really had no idea what to do now. What could he do? His first impression of this girl was that she was a competitive out-of-line recruit, overstepping her boundaries, and now, it seemed that maybe it was he who was the one overstepping boundaries. There was no way anything about this evening had been appropriate. Carefully slipping out from beneath her weight and half-covering her in a sheet, he stands up and returns to his desk, sitting down and propping his head up on his hand, glaring at her form from there. Idiot.

Unbeknownst to Levi, a small smile had formed on Kisumi’s face. It was unique from her typical devious grins, it was just a tiny content smile. 

Levi stands after a few minutes of battling with himself, pacing quietly with one hand in his pocket and the other at his mouth, teeth chewing lightly on his thumbnail. What to do about this girl. It was a mystery, the way her mind worked, the same way it was a mystery the way his emotions worked. But just tonight, she’d opened up to him, and he in turn had just given her a butchered version of his checkered past. He’d ripped her off, and he felt so bad about it, but he couldn’t...Nearly groaning allowed, he finds that his feet have taken him to the edge of the bed, eyes trained down to a particular spot on Kisumi’s shoulder rather than anywhere else. What to do about this girl.


	4. Chapter 4

It was the annual party that the Survey Corps held every year, around Christmas. This celebration always brought the battle-worn minds of the cadets away from all the grief they have faced and allowed a sense of _joy_ settle over them. Kisumi hummed as she walked to Mikasa’s room. She snickered to herself as she remembered that a little birdy (namely, Hanji) had told her an _interesting_ tidbit of information - that Christmas was also the birthday of a certain short Corporal. She skipped the rest of the way to her room.

Mikasa and Sasha sat alone until Kisumi arrived, Sasha with a pilfered potato in hand, donning her pale-yellow party dress, Mikasa with Kisumi’s draped over her lap as she inspected it for tears to hem before they had to be downstairs. Her own dress was rather plain, lilac in color, but she still wore her red scarf, although now it was draped over her upper arms like a shawl. She glances up as Kisumi arrives, voice flat. “I haven’t found anything to patch with this dress, yet.”  
“Where did you even find it?” Sasha chimes, hazel eyes alight with her usual cheer. “It’s so pretty!”

Kisumi turned towards Sasha and said, “Hanji gave it to me...Her exact words were, ‘you’ve been distracting Levi so much with your antics that he hasn’t had time to pester me about my experiments’ or something like that. I have no clue what she was talking about, but she gave me this dress as a sort of ‘thank you’, I guess”. 

Mikasa’s eyebrow’s rise a hair while Sasha all but chokes on half-swallowed potato, spitting, “Levi? A-as in, Lance-Corporal? You’ve been _distracting_ him?” Apparently, _distraction_ meant _flirtation_ to Sasha, as she gasps once the potato is down, rising quickly and running over to Kisumi excitedly. “Tell me everything, Kisumi, tell me!”

Kisumi swatted her away playfully. “No, not in _that_ way guys! I guess he’s just had his hands tied dealing with me, I mean I’ve heard that I can be a handful...but that’s besides the point. Who are you guys going to ask to the dance?” She looked pointedly at Sasha and stage-whispered, “Connie?”, causing Sasha to blush slightly. 

Sasha nods in response, giggling, “And Mikasa is taking Eren!” If blushes were audible, Mikasa’s would’ve been screaming. “I’m not taking Eren anywhere,” she insists, voice level and quiet. Sasha rolls her eyes, pulling Kisumi over to the bed and sitting the both of them on the edge. “So if Levi’s got his hands tied with you...what does that mean, exactly? Tell me, Kisumi, I need to know!”

Kisumi grinned and said, “Sorry Sasha- I couldn’t tell you what that meant even I wanted to, because I have absolutely no clue either!” She then looked at the old dusty analog clock on the wall. It was five minutes slow, so based on that they had about...10 minutes left to get to the ballroom. Kisumi gestured for them to hurry up and get themselves collected so they could leave. 

Sasha squeaks and finishes her potato in less than two bites, grabbing Mikasa’s wrist to drag her out of the room. Mikasa half-hands, half-tosses the navy blue dress to Kisumi, letting her know that there was a tear in the-- gone. Oh well.

Kisumi pulls her own average attire off, and slips into the royal blue dress. The feel of satin felt smooth and silky to her skin and it had a sort of shine in the light of day. _Not bad_ , Kisumi conceded. She finally made her way to the ballroom, and it was quite the sight to behold. There was an adequate amount of refreshments there- not enough to overfeed the attendees, but still enough- and there were many people wearing beautiful outfits. Best of all, however, was the Christmas tree in the center of the room. They used this one every year, same decorations and all, but it never ceased to amaze Kisumi every time. She sucked in a breath, and took a step forward. 

 

Levi sort of stood off to the side with Erwin, both gentlemen with wine glasses in hand. Levi’s was half empty, Erwin’s was nearly full, and neither had touched the beverage to their lips since they’d gotten it. Erwin’s deep voice reverberated as he spoke, and Levi pretended to be listening, but he was mostly just staring out into the crowd, glaring at everyone with one hand shoved into his pocket. He didn’t really like Christmas, didn’t care that it was his birthday, either. Just another year of people too damn old for this stuff. He turns his head a bit, catching a glimpse of blonde-pink hair, and he shifts a bit on his feet, demeanor changing. Erwin falters a bit, watching him, but then continues.

Kisumi was in the middle of conversing with Jean (who continuously glanced at Mikasa wistfully) and she noticed Levi standing with Erwin and made brief eye contact. Her eyes shifted back to Jean, but she wasn’t really into the conversation now. Instead, she started walking towards Levi on a whim, and stopped in front of Erwin and him. She flashed a grin at both of them and then saluted, exclaimed gaily, “Happy birthday, Corporal Levi!”

Erwin blinks, thick eyebrows knitting a bit as a light smile forms on his face and he glances at Levi. The Captain, however, remains stoic, his only response being, “Thank you, Miss Hinode.” In truth, he wanted to ditch Erwin for her instead, but they were apparently in a deep conversation about...something...important...Titans and what-not. “I hope you’re enjoying yourself this evening.”

Kisumi had to restrain herself from twirling her dress around like a little kid. Instead of responding, the faint music that was playing in the background suddenly changed into a faster beat. The other trainees started dancing, and it was the most peculiar sight Kisumi had ever seen. It was as if they had forgotten their worries completely. The idea of dancing was now very appealing to Kisumi, and on a whim she turned back to Levi and gestured towards the crowd of people dancing. “Do you wanna…?”

Erwin casts a knowing glance at Levi, chuckling and stepping aside. Levi’s head whirls to look at him. _No, you oaf, return and save me_. Chewing his inner cheek, he turns back to Kisumi, not meeting her eyes. “In case you haven’t noticed yet, I’m not much of a dancer, Miss Hinode.”

Kisumi flashed him her trademark grin and said slyly, “Well I’ve never seen you dance, so how about you show me?” It was probably a shot in the dark, either way. She then curtsied awkwardly, all whilst smiling. Unbeknownst to Levi, Kisumi was absolutely freaking out on the inside. Her mind was on overdrive. 

Levi makes an inaudible whining noise, wanting to just escape this, to just leave and return to the safety of his room where everything was clean, there were no cute recruits asking him to dance, and it didn’t smell like testosterone and teen spirit. Moving a bit closer, he whispers, “If you step on my foot once, I swear to all things holy, I’ll throw you into the sun."

Once it registered that she was not indeed rejected by the stiff Corporal, she made an exaggerated gesture towards the dance floor. “Shall we, my good Sir?” She said, in an old-time English accent. 

Taking a step towards her, Levi holds out his arm, bent at the elbow a bit. It was plain that the gesture was forced, and its usual warm inference was doused by his icy grey gaze. “We shall, m’lady,” he says flatly.

She ignores his icy stature, and guides him to the dance floor. A few eyes are fixated on them now, and soon it wasn’t just a few. Ignoring them as well, Kisumi leads Levi in a slow dance, taking the part that the male usually performs. At first it’s a little awkward but then they both relax and sway in time with the beat. _This isn’t so bad_ , thought Kisumi, a smile gracing her lips. 

Though formerly stiff and cold, the longer Levi moves, the easier the movements become. He’d learned dancing when he arrived at the Capital before moving on to the Survey Corps, and it was one of those things he never forgot how to do, the same way he wouldn’t forget how to kill a Titan even when he was old and grey. Which wasn’t far off. Kisumi was leading, which was _vexing as all hell_ , but he figured she was doing a better job at it than he was, and they weren’t that different in height, so maybe he could just… He moves her hand from his hip and draws it up to his shoulder, slowly and deliberately, as if trying to prove a point. His fingers clip at her waist, and it’s soft beneath his skin, the bump of her hip rolling under his palm smoothly, and he supposes maybe this wasn’t as horrible as it could be.

Kisumi noticed that the level of awkwardness had gone down, which made something warm and fuzzy spark inside of her. _‘Tis the season, I guess_ , she recited the old phrase in her head- though it was seldom used nowadays. As she led Levi in a slow dance, she caught Eren’s eye over Levi’s shoulder. He was grinning a huge smile, and Kisumi could practically hear him teasing her (in her mind, of course). Eren then pointed above them. _What?_ She thought as her eyes glanced upwards. _Oh. OH._ It was mistletoe. 

Levi’s eyebrows scrunch a bit as she looks to the ceiling, and before he even gets a chance to look up, the fact that it was Christmas hits him full force, and his stomach turns over. “Kisumi, do me a huge favor and tell me that’s not mistletoe above us, please,” he whispers, only faltering a little bit.

She chuckled a little nervously, “Um… ‘that’s not mistletoe above us’?” She locked eyes with Eren again who was making suggestive gestures, and he was now laughing with Jean. Kisumi made a mental note to kill both of them after the dance was over. 

It takes a lot of effort on Levi’s end to convince himself that his face wasn’t on fire. He mutters under his breath, stopping the two of them and turning his head slightly, steel gaze locking onto Eren and Jean, who freeze like deer in the headlights, pupils dilating in fear. Levi swore to God, if they had all been animals, they would definitely be prey-type or something. “And what do you suggest that we do about this ‘mistletoe that is not above us?’” he asks Kisumi carefully, heartbeat starting to speed up a fraction.

Kisumi didn’t know what in the heck made her do what she did next, but she leaned in and whispered, “we do this”, before closing the gap before the two of them. Gasps could be heard and a thud (presumably, Jean had fainted-who knows) but all Kisumi could hear was the blood rushing in her ears. And probably her impending doom, depending on how the man would react to her audacity. 

What. What. Oh god what. Levi remains perfectly still, hands frozen at Kisumi’s sides, heart leaping into his throat. Oh god what. Why. Why was this nice. _No wait this is unacceptable no she can’t...she can’t do this. Can she? She can. Why. Why is this happening. Please don’t let it end._

She slowly broke the contact and looked straight into his dark eyes. Bad idea. Immediately, she jumped back and looked anywhere, anywhere, but at him. “S-sorry Corporal! I was just- uh, I was just checking if your lips...were...moisturized. Yeah, you know that’s a real precaution to take especially in this time of year” she stuttered out, heat rising to her face at a rapid pace. _Well, I’m dead. Goodbye, cruel world!_ She internally groaned. 

Before Hanji can start screaming, Levi’s grabbed Kisumi by the wrist, muttering “Come on,” pulling her through the throngs of staring people and pushing open the door that lead into the hall, dragging her forcefully out of sight of the rest of everyone else before stopping and whirling back around.

Kisumi was pretty sure that they just made a semi-noticeable scene in the ballroom, and now she was here, with Levi facing her. _Stupid Kisumi! Think with your head, not your hormones!_ , she berated herself. But it was too late anyways- the damage had been done. _And now I’m going to face the consequences_ , she thought nervously as she looked at Levi’s shoulder, avoiding his eyes. 

Sighing through his nose, Levi lets his eyes fall shut, mind running rampant. In truth, that had been lovely. Honestly, he had no idea how long he’d been in contact with someone like that, but the chances were he had definitely been overdue. And he wasn’t ready to stop it yet. “Do you _honestly think_ that you can pass _that_ off as kissing?” he asks slowly, eyes opening as he shakes his head a little. “That wasn’t even close.”

Her jaw dropped as she registered what he was implying. Then her whole body started shaking, and Kisumi feared that she was going to break out in hysterical laughter from all the excitement and disbelief and surprise that she was trying to squelch. _All right Kisumi, now say something intelligent!_ And so, Kisumi opened her mouth and uttered: “Oh.” _God dang it._ The blush was returning and it was as strong as ever. Trying to recover from her fumble, she quickly slurred out, “thenwhydon’tyouteachme?”.

The green light had been given. Permission had been granted. Consent was present. But Levi still felt like he was sinning as he seized her hand again and pulled her close, eliminating the distance between them for the second time in as many minutes, and it was just as nice as before.

Kisumi was surprised at first and she could feel her whole body flushing. But she wasn’t going to waste this probably once-in-a-lifetime chance- that, and the fact that adrenaline was coursing through her veins, caused her to deepen the kiss. She laced her arms around Levi’s waist and closed her eyes. 

_Ohhhhhh-kay this was not what I expected at all._ But it was never like Levi to complain. Tilting his head a bit to the left, his fingers loosen on her hand, slowly drifting up her arm, movements so tentative it’s almost impossible to think that he was humanity’s strongest soldier; he was acting more like a dumb teenager. Ten thousand years later, his hand manages to find its way to her waist, resting there peacefully, and he figures that it should stay there. No need for it to move again. That just meant more effort.

Kisumi finally broke the kiss for the second time that day, but this time she managed to keep eye contact with Levi. She gazed into his eyes, mesmerized by them and by the fact that she just. Freaking. Kissed. Humanity’s Strongest. They stayed like that for a while, just drinking in each other’s presence. Kisumi was jolted out of her mesmerized state by the sound of clapping. Almost instantaneously, she and Levi turned their heads towards the source of the clapping. While the two had been so engrossed with each other, it seemed that the entirety of the ballroom had flooded out (unbeknownst to them, of course) and witnessed the spectacle that was Levi and Kisumi. Her eyes first spotted Eren, then Hanji, then Sasha, and the list went on- her face was getting redder with every face she recognized and Kisumi let out a sort of strangled cry.

Levi’s hands were off Kisumi in an instant, stomach going cold. His heart felt like it was crumpling into a wrinkled paper ball, and he throws up his hand, middle finger raised high, before turning on his heel and stalking off down the hall, rounding the corner and disappearing.

Kisumi, unfortunately, wasn’t as graceful. She tried to dash off, but at her first step she fell flat on her face, her nose bleeding. Again. That earned some chuckles from the crowd, most prominently Eren. _I swear to all things sacred, I’m going to stab that little punk_ \- her mental rant was cut off by Mikasa who had offered her a hand and helped her up. Even Mikasa had a knowing smile on. The crowd dissipated, their conversation abuzz and their spirits high- besides it wasn’t everyday that they got to witness honest-to-goodness romance. As Kisumi was dragged back with her squad members teasing her and pestering her (all whilst Mikasa was holding a cloth to her nose), she thought, _Ah, what the heck. ‘Tis the season!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Crash!_  
Why. Why tonight of all nights, a night of celebration and warmth and happiness and alcohol. Why did tonight have to be the night when Levi let his guard down.  
 _Thunk._  
A stack of papers takes a dive from his desk as he swipes them off, clutching at his hair has he paces his room, the same damn word continually floating around in his head, even though the rest of his body is screaming “Stop it!”  
 _Why. Look at what you’ve done. You could’ve held out. You could’ve said no, you could’ve shut this down before it even started, but you just couldn’t help yourself, could you? You had to go and get moony-eyes for the little blonde who beat your ass!_  
Groaning in agony, Levi throws his fist at the wall, breath heavy as tiny splinters burrow into his knuckles. This whole situation was tearing him to shreds, and he still wasn’t exactly sure why. He was in his mid-twenties, he should be able to control his temper by now, but apparently, tonight was not a good night for that. _Dammit._ Why.

Of course, that was the moment that Hanji decided to skip in. Hanji, the ever-eccentric, ever-aggravating, crazy scientist that took pride in being able to plague Humanity’s Strongest. She let herself in his room, and stopped at the mess that was at her feet. “Woah Levi! I knew you were head-over-heels for Kisumi, but I didn’t know you were _this_ crazy!” She laughed to herself, clutching at her sides. “Anyways- oh God, Levi don’t give me that crazy serial killer look again- I was wondering if you know the consequences that come with having that sort of a relationship with one of your cadets.” Her voice faded into a slightly graver tone. “What I’m trying to say is don’t get too distracted by her. Contrary to what you believe, I consider us friends- and I don’t want to see Erwin have to chew out your sorry butt in front of Kisumi.” Adapting her usual gaiety, she continued, “Buuuuuut I think that Erwin would approve of you guys anyways! Not to mention, you guys were getting pretty into it!” Her attempt at lightening the mood may have fell flat, as Levi was still glaring daggers at her. 

Levi’s eyes shut, and his body stops quivering as red-hot blood starts boiling in his veins. Hanji was not what he needed right now. “Do you… not think… that I already _know that_?” he sneers, standing up straight. His dress jacket had been torn off and lies on the ground by his desk in a heap, his shirt wrinkled and his tie loosened unevenly. If Hanji hadn’t known him better, she may have thought he had just murdered someone.

Hanji gulped and sweatdropped. “I mean, if it helps, everyone at the ballroom Christmas thought you guys were cute together!” _I’ll just smooth over the fact that I was the one who led the crowd out to you guys_ , she thought discreetly. 

“I don’t give a f--k about those people!” Levi roars, turning toward Hanji, his shoulders bunched like he was ready to spring on her. His right hand is clenched into a fist at his side, the other digging into the wall, quivering as he attempts to reign in all the emotions inside of him, ones he forgot he had. “Hanji, take a good f--king look at me. Do you really honestly believe I care what they think about me and Kisumi? No. The answer is no. You wanna know what would help right now? _Figuring out why I even developed a shred of anything more than mutual respect for the damn girl in the first place!_ ” He rakes his nails across the wood of the wall with an exasperated groan, pushing off of it and beginning to pace the room.

Hanji couldn’t help it. Even in all his glorious rage, she let out a snicker- which then proceeded to form into full out laughter. “ _Mutual...respect?_ ” She gasped between taking breaths. “This really is _too much_ , Levi!” She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, fully aware of how Levi’s murderous levels seem to have gone up a notch. Was it just her, or did the temperature drop a few degrees? Anyhow, Hanji tried to reason with him. “All right Levi, so you like a girl. So what?” 

Levi’s eyes flicker toward Hanji in disbelief. “So what? So _what?_ Hanji, she is eight years my junior, a recruit, and not to mention it’s totally unbefitting! Dangerous, even! What if I’m compromised, huh? What then? What will become of ‘Humanity’s Strongest?’ I don’t have _time_ to like a girl, Hanji. I don’t have the will to like her either. It’s not fair to me, it’s not fair to her—" He's begun using his hands to talk, index finger straight as he points toward the door, like he was motioning to Kisumi's ghost. "—because regardless of how this situation will hurt me, it’s gonna be worse for her.” Levi didn’t need to tack on why; he and Hanji were both adults, they both knew what it meant to be hurt romantically. Or so Levi thought. He never asked Hanji about her love life. Now wasn’t a great time to start, either. “Do you understand me, Hanji? Do you get why I’m sc-” He pauses, swallowing the word like bile and taking a shaky breath. “...why I’m nervous?”

Hanji was stunned into silence. Seeing ‘Humanity’s Strongest’ so exposed like this shook her right down to the core. Sometimes, even Hanji needed to be reminded that Levi had emotions too- and it seems like today was her wake-up call. And if she had the decency to consider herself his friend, then she would help him out- especially when he’s at his most vulnerable. With that reasoning in mind, Hanji said softly, “It’s okay, Levi. Clear your head, and think about this. Kisumi may seem a little daft, but she’s smart and very capable of taking care of herself.” She tried her best at consoling him, which didn’t come very easy to her.

Levi is still and silent for a moment, eyes wide in a way that suggested fear, but on the inside, he was beginning to calm a bit. His breathing slows, and he goes to stare at his feet. “I know she’s smart. That doesn’t stop me from worrying that she’s not smart enough to know why I can’t commit to her. Why I shouldn’t have in the first place. Hanji...” He takes a breath, pressing his back to the wall and sliding down it, knees drawn up to his chin. “Hanji, I don’t think you understand how frustrating this is.”

Hanji sighed. “Oye, I witnessed a plentitude of our comrades, our _friends_ , die in battle. If you don’t want to commit to Kisumi, that’s fine. But if you think for one second that that’ll increase her chance of survival - or anyone’s for that matter - then you’re _wrong._ ” In a gentler voice, she added “Just...don’t overthink it, Levi”. She gave him a glance before walking out of the room, leaving him alone to his thoughts. 

Levi’s expression had softened, eyebrows still pulled together in worry. He stares at the floor by the window, thoughts racing. _Just don’t overthink it_. Yeah, because that’s easy. Not over-thinking anything went against all Levi stood for. He was germophobic, for God’s sake, he overthought _germs_. The smallest things. The smallest things were what he was most afraid of. And now a small thing, a feeling like a germ, had grown into something he couldn’t control, his emotions had developed and burst, and now he had no clue what to do except be afraid. He drops his head into his crossed arms, sighing deeply. _Don’t be afraid. You’re fear isn’t going to protect you or her from anything. Pull yourself together_.

There was a soft knock at the door. It was none other than Kisumi, who was clad in an over-sized nightie that flowed around her small frame, making her look more petite than she already was. Her hair was let down from her usual ponytail and there were slight bags underneath her eyes, marring her clear skin. “H-hey, Corporal. I was uh, I mean I heard some commotion down here and I just…” her voice trailed off, uncharacteristically timid. Her eyes were following the mess that was on the floor, the one created by Levi prior to her presence. 

Levi’s fingers slot gently into the shallow valley of his calf, left there by years of training and growing muscle. He looks up at her, blinking a few times to adjust to the light. “Come in and close the door,” he orders apathetically, looking away and drumming his fingers now along his knee.

She stifled a yawn with her hands, and closed the door behind her, treading lightly towards Levi. Kisumi maneuvered her way throughout the wreckage that was Levi’s floor, which she was still quite curious about. To put bluntly, a clean-freak like Levi doesn’t typically have a high tolerance level for messes of this level. Pondering this, Kisumi stood in front of Levi, crossing her arms in an attempt to warm herself up. Maybe it wasn’t the best plan to come in a somewhat thin gown. 

His fingers continue to move of their own accord, eyes trained intently on her knee. Anywhere but her face. _Say something, idiot._ No words came. He supposed silence was greater in this instance than the very likely probability that opening his mouth would cause things to get worse. A few awkward moments pass before he speaks. “I’m very sorry about this evening.”

Kisumi’s immediate reaction was to be surprised, but she relaxed. She crouched down to come to eye level with the seated Levi and clasped his hands in hers. “No, it was my fault. I guess I was a little out of line.” But her lips quirked at the corners as she added, “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it” She grinned, but the conflict and hurt was still visible. It was written all over her body language. 

Levi’s heart sinks, and he wants to just hold her close and never move again, but he knows that he can’t. “That’s what I’m sorry about. Kisumi, I… I don’t know if I can do this,” he blurts, gaze finally rising to meet her dark mocha irises, as he searches for something there that isn’t disappointment. “You know why, don’t you?”

Instead of disappointment, there is only distance. It was as if Kisumi had retreated into the depths of her own consciousness in the face of what could only be interpreted as a rejection of sorts. She took in a shaky breath, and rubbed her eyes as she got up. “Yeah...I totally understand.” _I don’t understand at all._ There was a dull sort of ache in her heart, one that Kisumi didn’t want to welcome. So instead she turned her back to Levi and started to pick up the papers that he had strewn across the floor. “I’ll help you with these” she breathed, barely audible to Levi’s ears.

Throat clenching, Levi swallows hard as regret slams into his chest. _Nevermind. I take it back. Abort mission, abort mission._ Rising quickly, he takes her hand as she straightens, pulling her back in for another kiss. It’s empty, it doesn’t mean anything anymore, but maybe if he tries hard enough, he can fill it. Bring it back to life.

Kisumi’s emotions flared back to life at the intimate contact, but the most prominent was confusion. Why was Levi kissing her, after what he had said just moments before? But… _it feels so right_ , agonized Kisumi. In the end, she pulled her head back and just leaned into Levi’s chest. It felt warm, and even if it was for the moment that was all right. And she closed her eyes. 

Sighing, Levi touches his nose to her hair, and he supposed she must’ve showered earlier because she smells like tea roses. His hands clasp behind her back, dropping to her lumbar, and he holds her there, eyelids dropping after a moment. “I can’t promise you anything,” he murmurs, turning his head a little. “But I can at least tell you that I really do want to give it a try.”

Kisumi smiled a genuine little grin, and murmured, “that’s all I’ve wanted”. The weight of the events of the whole day finally crashed on the girl, both exhausting her emotionally and physically. So she did the sensible thing: she fell asleep, right in Levi’s arms.

It took the Captain a moment to process what had happened, but as soon as she went limp in his arms, he let out a low curse. “Dammit, Hinode, come on,” he grumbles, carefully hooking his arm behind her knees and picking her up, crossing the room the bed and setting her down (now for the second time in as many months) on top of the comforter. Tugging a sheet across her thin form, he stands back to watch her, arms crossed. If only he could do that. Damn teenagers and their uncanny ability to fall asleep whenever. After a minute or so, he begins picking up the room again, quickly organizing papers and setting them back into the basket on the desk. Pinching the flame of one of the two candles in the room, he returns to the bed and sits at the end of it, still and quiet. The only sound now was Kisumi breathing, and it was so soothing. He didn’t want it to ever go away.


	6. Chapter 6

Most everyone was still asleep, aside from a few boys that stirred and chattered in the early April light filtering in through the single window. Eren lay flopped on his belly, Armin’s tiny figure pressed against the wall far away from him. One leg stuck out from beneath the sheets, and Eren’s toe would twitch every once in a while from the draft. About an orange’s diameter of drool darkened the creamy color of his pillowcase, and his hair stuck up at odd angles all over the place. His dreams filled with memories of his childhood, he, Mikasa, and Armin playing tag with one another. Mikasa was gaining on him, her height giving her an advantage over him as she gripped the back of his collar, effectively tripping him up, and the suffocating force was enough to jolt him awake to a heap of tiny blonde Kisumi glomping him into consciousness.

She attack-hugged him, effectively waking him up. “Ereeeeeeen”, Kisumi playfully whispered. “No one else is awake! The training grounds are all _ours._ ” she said in a sing-song voice. She jabbed him in the stomach a few times. “Get up, lazy! Or…” she looked at him devilishly, “Levi Heichou will get you”. 

“G’t’ff me,” Eren complains, turning over so she was half-off him and he was on his side. Over the past several months they’d known each other, they’d begun bonding the same way two siblings bond together; she would tease and attack him and he would tolerate and test her. A lot of the other boys poked fun at him for having such a strange relationship with a _girl_ , of all people, but it didn’t bother him. She was pretty smart and definitely competitive, so if they were ever out on the field, he wouldn’t be looking at her as a playmate, but as the person he wanted with him to protect him. “Frig d’you want an’w’y, s’not even sunrise…”

“At least attempt to speak in some understandable language,” Kisumi teased in response to his stupor-induced slurring. “Besides, I want to try using the punching bags while we’re out- you know, the ones that we’ve only seen the higher-ups use!” She grinned dreamily, thinking of the not worn-out leather and the not roughed up punching bags that were generally only available to people, such as Corporal Levi. But, if they got there early enough, who would be there to catch them… _right?_ thought Kisumi. She shook Eren some more, and when he didn’t get up she resorted to her secret-weapon: an onslaught of tickling was soon unleashed upon Eren. 

Eren’s blue-green eyes shoot open, pupils dilating as little angel fingers tickle his sides, and he squirms like an earthworm caught in the rain, a jolt of bright laughter erupting from his lips. “K-Kisum-mi, stop!! Stop it, oh G-God!” He rolls over onto his back, the heels of his hands pressing firmly into her shoulders in a meager attempt to get her off of him, the twitters still pouring from his mouth.

In a swift motion, she pulls him straight up and covers his mouth. “Shut up, dummy! Everyone’s still sleeping remember?” And with that, she dragged him out of the building and into the training camps. She turned back to him and put her pointer finger in front of her lips, signalling him to be quiet. 

Eren managed to quell his noises as she pulled him out of the boy’s barracks, and followed her relatively quietly. When they reach the shed-thing, and she finally releases his hand, he stands and watches her tackle the punching bag in the same manner she had tackled him earlier. Cold mist swirled around his feet, even inside the shed, and as he lifted one socked appendage to rub at an itch on his ankle, he found that the cloth was soaking wet. “Damn, Kisumi, you didn’t think to let me grab shoes first?” he asks bitterly, sitting down on the wooden platform and peeling off the damp articles.

“Well, I didn’t stop you from taking them either!” She retorted, swinging another blow at the punching bag. After some time, Eren joined her and they were both covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Panting, Kisumi put her hand on Eren’s knee and faced him. Remembering the time she sparred with Levi (and had somehow managed to _win_ ) she challenged, “Spar outside?”

Eren’s eyes darken quickly with a sort of competitive desire, green clouds swirling within his normally aquamarine irises. Smirking devilishly, he stands and rolls his shoulders. “Sounds like fun,” he quips, already heading outside to the flat land beyond the shed. The cold dew of the grass clings to his feet and numbs them a bit, the icy chill soaking into the hem of his pants leg’s too. Turning to face her, he sizes her up a bit. In the time they’d known each other, he’d grown an inch or so, and filled out a bit too. If he’d been scrawny before, he wasn’t now, persay, his nearly animalistic appearance topped off by too-long hair. Kisumi wasn’t too shabby either. She was short, but she’d taken him down time and time again, so he never underestimated her. That proved dangerous.

Without even waiting for Eren to brace himself, Kisumi lunged for the middle of his chest. She knocked the breath out of him and then tried to sweep his legs with her own foot. 

Eren nearly loses his balance, but lifts up the leg that her foot collided with first, drawing his knee swiftly up to her gut. He felt bad about hitting her, about hitting any girl, but she was strong enough to handle it, right? He steps back, putting a few feet of space between them and smiling. “Come on, that one again? Show me something new!”

She recoiled for a split second from the blow, more from surprise than from pain. Well, well, it seems that Eren _had_ improved quite a lot- Kisumi hadn’t even seen that coming. Fine, if he wanted to play that way then Kisumi wasn’t going to hold back. _Here it comes,_ she thought as she swiftly feinted a punch to his left and ended up hooking the right of his jaw. 

Feeling and hearing his jaw pop at the movement, he takes another pace back, rolling his mouth before taking two long strides toward her, hooking her legs with his foot, arms remaining at his chest to guard any upper-body advancements on her part. She was hard to spar with, because she was a full six inches shorter than him, and it was difficult to throw punches anywhere that wasn’t her face. 

Kisumi fell but before she made contact with the ground she twisted her body so the palms of her hands hit the rough sandy terrain and launched her right back up. Her right hand had a few flecks of blood on it now, but she wiped it away, as she tried one of the techniques they didn’t teach in the standardized military training: the roundhouse kick. She had learned it from her father, who had taught her quite a few fighting moves from an ancient set of arts called “Martial Arts”. The kick hit Eren square on the side of his ribs. 

The pressure pushes him back, a stinging sensation blossoming on his skin. He takes in a shuddery breath, his blood pumping now. Stepping to her side and feigning a swipe at her jaw, he tucks in his right leg and kicks out at her stomach, drawing back before she has time to recover and come after him again.

She shuddered and swallowed the bile that was rising up her throat. Instead, she squashed down the pain in her stomach and grinned mischievously, “I thought you boys were supposed to be Humanity’s Strongest”, she coughed. When she looked at Eren’s eyes, she realized she said something when the fire that was blazing in them died and when his smile was wiped off his face. She immediately dropped her fighting stance and approached him. 

Eren drops his hands, pushing past her sluggishly. “I don’t want to spar anymore,” he says bitterly, brow furrowed into a defeated scowl. He sits down at the foot of the wooden platform, shaking out his discarded socks and putting them back on. “You don’t understand what the Captain has to deal with. He wasn’t prepared to fight you that day.” He wasn’t gonna remark on their little happening from Christmas, feeling that that would be unwarranted.

Kisumi’s heart sunk a little. She didn’t mean to offend Eren, but why would he be surprised about this? After all, everyone in the Survey Corps deals with a lot of strife and hardships. _It’s a cruel world,_ she thought offhandedly. Instead, she walked towards him and placed both her hands on his shoulders, making him face her. _If you can’t argue, just agree._ “You’re right. I don’t understand what the Captain has to deal with- mind enlightening me?” She said with complete and utter sincerity. 

The light in Eren’s eyes flares again, but its more like a warning sign, as if he couldn’t quite understand why she would ask that. “I don’t know, maybe he’s just a little bit more preoccupied with keeping us alive than fighting a competitive newbie!” His words come out in a rush, their bitterness sharp. It almost seems like he’s talking to himself rather than Kisumi.

_Wait...what?_ Kisumi was completely blank. How does someone reply to something like that? Or… _I feel like he’s talking about something more than just Levi...but what?_ Usually a girl of quick responses, Kisumi uncharacteristically replied, “U-uh...I’m sorry?” Pricks of guilt shot through her chest. Eren was certainly upset about something, but even Kisumi couldn’t tell what he was worked up about. _What kind of a friend does that make me?_

Turning away from her, Eren clutches at his midsection, hands on their adjacent elbows. The bruise that was most certainly blossoming on his chest at this very moment still stung, but it wasn’t much more than a prickle compared to the stinging of his heart. After a long, agonizing pause, he finally sighs out through his nose, looking away. “It isn’t your fault...I guess I just don’t understand, you know? How you can be so good at what you do without even trying. At fighting, at training, even at getting the Captain’s attention. I can shift into a Titan, for God’s sake, and I’m pretty sure he revers you a bit higher than me.” Another pause, as his head returns to facing forward. A sour expression masks his normally prepossessing features. “It’s hard not to be jealous of you when you can do all those things without breaking a sweat.”

_Oh._ That single word was all Kisumi could think at that moment. Eren was...jealous of her? She smiled a small, knowing grin and said, “Eren, I can say full heartedly that you are at least ten times braver than me. I rely on pure luck and I realize that I’m pretty rash, which is how I made it this far. You’re the talented one, Eren.” She said, shifting from foot to foot self-consciously. “Oh, and the only reason Corporal Levi pays attention to me is because I’m _troublesome_ to him” she said with a hollow chuckle.

Eren bites back a snide response, his heart strings twanging as she compliments him. “Thanks, I guess.” Outwardly, he remains dismissive, but he was preening gleefully on the inside. “And it doesn’t make much of a difference _why_ he pays attention to you; fact is, he cares about you more than the others. I don’t know what you two do behind closed doors--” and he wasn’t sure he wanted to, either. “--but whatever it is, it’s gained his favor.” Sighing and tucking his head into the criss-cross of his arms, he murmurs, “I hope all it is is combat training tips. For your sake, I do.”

Kisumi blushed profoundly, and then lightly punched Eren on the arm. “Oh? I see how it is, you want Levi for _yourself,_ well, I didn’t know you swung that way Eren” she said teasingly, regaining her previous vigor and mischievousness. “Fine, well, you’re gonna have to put up a fight! How about it?”

A mad vermillion blush splashes across Eren's olive cheeks, dusting his whole face in a violent red as his head shoots up. "I-I didn't mean it like that!" he sputters, fingers curling into defensive fists. "God no, _Kisumi!_ "

A laugh full of mirth erupted from Kisumi, which had her clutching his sides and gasping for air. “Y-you’re such a _dork!_ ” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “But seriously, what do you think about Levi and me?” She asked hesitantly. 

It takes Eren a good solid moment for his flush to calm, the fire on his ears finally snuffing. "I'd say I was indifferent, but in truth, I guess I'm not. I don't have much of a say in it, though, so I don't care."

She poked him in the side of his ribs. “What does that mean, huh? C’mon, I know when you’re hiding something” she egged him on, “tell me!” She then proceeded to pester him for the next five minutes before she finally stopped and began a fresh onslaught of jabs to his person. 

Eren swats at her hands as she nudges his sides, groaning slightly. "Alright, alright, stop it," he whines, pressing on her hands to keep them idle. "I...I guess I'm jealous of you in that aspect too. N-not r-romantically, or anything!" he chirps, eyes widening a little. "Just...I just kind of wish...I don't know, forget it. I'm happy for you both."

Kisumi pouted at Eren for a second. She simply _needed_ to find a way to get him to spill whatever the heck it was that’s on his mind! So she did the only _reasonable_ thing: she wrapped her arms around him from the back and glomped on for an impromptu piggy back ride- except it was more like a koala-back ride because Kisumi was holding on so tightly while Eren was left flabbergasted. Kisumi mumbled into his shirt, “I’m not letting go until you tell, darn it!” The two went at it for a while before they finally collapsed on the ground.

For the second time that morning, Eren found himself pinned beneath Kisumi’s tiny frame, appalled at how easy it was for her to bring him to his knees. Huffing and blowing a strand of hair from his face, he rolls over, ignoring the awkwardness of her straddling him. “You’re a pain in the ass, you know that?” he whines, prodding her belly. “I already told you, I’m just a little jealous of you. The Captain was my hero as a child, and I just thought that… I don’t know... I might be worth a little more of his time.” Phrasing it like that made him sound so conceited, he felt physically ill. “It’s not against you. It’s nothing against you. You’re not the problem.”

Kisumi pinched Eren’s cheeks to the point where a deep rosy color was stained on them. “Fine then,” she said while getting up and dusting off her pants, “Let’s go to the Captain and talk to him ourselves and settle the problem! We can have a one-on-one match with him, and whoever dies first is the loser!” She joked, with a grin on her face. That made it about ten billion times worse for the two when they heard an ice-cold voice behind them say, “I’d be happy to oblige, but who would clear the corpses?” They both turned around almost mechanically, dreading the horror that was Humanity’s Strongest. 

Eren choked on his own spit in surprise as he tries to formulate and excuse, doubling over and coughing for a moment while Levi crosses his arms over his chest, steely eyes penetrating both of their souls. “I know you two are thick and shallow, but you _must_ still understand the concept of not being allowed to be on the training grounds without supervision? Please correct me if I’m wrong in that assumption.”

Kisumi’s mind raced to come up with some kind of a reasonable excuse. Instead, she did the next best thing: she let Eren play the scapegoat. “Uh, Sir, Eren here was just talking about how much _stronger_ he was than you- I mean, I, of course, was in shock at such insolence! He also wanted to challenge you and, uh, let me go back to the rest of the cadets…?” Her voice squeaked at the end of her terribly executed fib, making it sound like she was asking a question. This happened all whilst avoiding Eren’s completely mortified glare. 

Levi’s eyes narrow into slits, and he pauses before flicking his head to the side, indicating he wanted her to come and stand beside him. Once she had begun moving, he barks at Eren, “Jaeger, I understand your tendency to bend the rules, but it seems to me that this is a stupid rule to bend. Now that the two of you have effectively wasted half an hour of my time in trying to first figure out where the _hell_ you both were and then finally locating you, you can both spend your free days mucking out the horse stalls. Now scat.” Eren moves as quickly and gracefully as a gawky five-foot-nine boy can move when he’s scared to death by someone seven inches shorter than him. He brushes by Kisumi, tugging on her wrist and muttering, “Come on.”

But Kisumi didn’t want to relent. Eren was upset about something, and now that Levi was here...well, might as well settle it, right? Kisumi stopped and clamped her hands on his instead, whispering “You said you wanted to see if Levi finds you important right? Let’s ask him right now, end this right here”. She planted her boots firmly in the ground, glaring right back at Eren. 

“Kisumi, _shut up,_ ” Eren hisses, his grip on her wrist tightening. Levi turns around, grey eyes curious now, though remaining rather malicious all the same. “Ask me what?”  
“Nothing, sir, Kisumi’s just talking nonsense!” Eren calls back, beginning to advance forward again.

She shot daggers at Eren. If there’s anything that he’s taught her, it was to _never hold back._ Life was too short for that kind of luxury, and it wasn’t going to be on her conscience if Eren regrets not speaking his mind. She clutched his arm and whispered more fiercely this time, “I’m not letting go until _you_ let go of what’s bothering you right now!”

“I _told you already_ what was bothering me!” Eren sneers, voice barely above a whisper. Her fingernails dug into the soft material of his shirt and stung his skin but he doesn’t make a move away. “Why can’t you accept that as an answer?”

A trickle of sympathy clouded Kisumi’s eyes. “Because I know what it’s like to regret not saying something. And I don’t want that to happen to you, so _let go of your insecurities and tell him!_ ” She said with pure conviction. 

Ripping his hand away from her grip, he finally straightens, taking a deep breath. “Captain,” he calls. Levi blinks at him, expression bored. “What is it, Jaeger?”Swallowing hard, Eren tucks his left arm behind his back and cuffs his right arm to his chest, saluting his higher-up. “With all due respect, sir, I find it difficult to digest and confusing to understand why I remain little more than dirt in your eyes while she--” Eren dips his head slightly toward Kisumi, the movement nothing more than a flick and holding so much meaning regardless. “--has managed to gain your full approval in no less than five months time. It is not a topic I would like to discuss at this moment, but I thought it imperative that you know, Sir! Thank you!”

There was a prolonged silence that ensued, and Kisumi sweatdropped though her face didn’t show her anxiety. _C’mon Levi, say something that’ll appeal to the kid,_ she thought frantically. She’d had enough of moody Eren and she also didn’t want to particularly get maimed by an angry Levi. So it goes without saying that Kisumi was itching to get out of the situation.

Levi's eyebrows raise a bit, body language radiating confusion as well as appreciation. "Thank you for bringing this subject to my attention, Jaeger. We can discuss it later."  
Eren seemed more than happy to oblige to the unspoken command of "scram," and turns tail, walking briskly away and leaving Kisumi alone.

Kisumi blanched slightly when she realized that Eren had just beat her to the punch, making his escape and leaving her to the metaphorical devil. Or real devil. With Levi, it was pretty hard to tell. She stuttered out, “W-well uh I’d better be going, y’know heheh” she added with a nervous laugh at the end and spun around to make her hasty retreat. 

Levi watches the both of them high-tail it for HQ, sighing in exasperation. Sometimes he forgot that he was surrounded by teenagers; jealous, competitive, hormonal, questioning teenagers. He hated being reminded.

\--

Eren stays a good ten feet ahead of Kisumi the entire way back to the castle, thin hands bunched up into tight fists. His ears radiated scarlet, eyes fixated on the path before him.

Kisumi was hot in pursuit of him, but she hated to admit it: Eren was taller than her, had longer legs, and thus moved faster. She panted, and yelled out “Eren! Eren, wait up! C’mon man!” At this point they were getting stares, and Eren didn’t look like he was going to settle down anytime soon so Kisumi used her last resort: “Eren Jaeger, if you don’t stop now I’ll tell everyone about how you wet your pants when you were seven because you were scared of the dar-” She was cut off by Eren who had whipped around finally. Uh oh. 

"Do you not understand the concept of the word 'no,' Kisumi?" Eren hisses venomously. his normally benign eyes glowed green like angry snakes, pupils dilated. "I'm assuming that you don't, because apparently, you have no clue how embarrassing and difficult that was for me!" He looks animalistic now, disheveled morning appearance taking on a threatening pose. "I don't understand you. I just...leave me alone, Hinode, just leave me be." His voice cracks at her name, and he's already turned and begun to walk off as he mutters his last words under his breath.

Kisumi’s stomach dropped as she took a step forward, about to chase after Eren. Maybe getting Eren to let out his emotions wasn’t the _best_ idea. _I guess mom was right when she said that men are less dramatic than women,_ she thought bitterly. Well, too late now. That’s when something snapped inside of Kisumi, as if someone flipped a switch. No, Eren was just being _dramatic,_ that was it! He was clearly itching to get something out to Levi, and now he’s running away instead of possibly thanking her? She whipped around in the opposite direction of Eren, but the momentary indignation that fueled her quickly faded, leaving her with sagging shoulders and a bruised ego. Sighing, she decided to go to her comfort place: the apple tree near the back of the main building. When she got there, she scaled the rough bark and settled in the little crook that the branches created, and plucked at the leaves. No more apples grew on this tree, but it still stood strong: that’s what Kisumi liked about it.


End file.
